Water cooler



V. M. MAINE WATER COOLER July 18, 1933.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 riled March 24, 1952 vuvwbo r/ m w m NW M W M n m W P \m |W\ Q E Qw Patented July 18, 1933 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VERNON M. MAINE, OF RHINELANDER, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO RI-IINELANIDER REFRIGERATOR CO.,OF RHINELANDER, WISCONSIN WATER COOLER Application filed March 24, 1932. Serial No. 600,990.

This invention relates to a water cooler or vitreous, preferably porcelained inside for use in refrigerators; and out, and is so shaped as to occupy mini- It is an object of the invention to provide mum space. It has brackets at the top a cooler the parts of which can be easily for engaging the supporting partition 3 or I. placed in or removed from position, and can the like and by making the tank thin it can also be taken apart readily. for cleaning and occupy a small space between the partition repairs. i and the ice block A or other refrigerating Another object is to provide a cooler which means. i i includes a reservoir and a cooling tankwith Tank 1 is formed with an inlet neck 6 at it.- necessary connections, the reservoir being its top and an outlet neck 7 at its bottom. so located at an accessible point outside the re- Each of these is adapted to receive a plug frigera-tor and being suitable for use as a or stopper 8 or 9, preferably of rubber, havfilter. t ing an opening 10. An outlet tube 11. is A furtherobject is to provide efficient couseated in the opening in the bottom plug 9 plings between the several parts which conand is extended to a faucet 12 mounted at a stitute tight seals and can be assembled withconvenient point on the refrigerator. out requiring the services of a skilled me The top of the refrigerator has an openchanic. 'ing 13 preferably lined with a sleeve 1 1 of WVith the foregoing and other objects in metal or other suitable material and this 20 view which will appear as the description sleeve receives a coupling tube 15 of soft proceeds, the invention resides in the combirubberprovided at its upper end with a supnation and arrangement of parts and in the porting head 16 adapted to rest on the top details of construction hereinafter described of the refrigerator. An annular flange 17 is and claimed,it being understood that changes provided on the lower end of the tube and. in the precise embodiment of the invention issufiiciently flexible to permit downward herein disclosed may be made within the insertion of the rubber tube into opening 13 scope of what is claimed without departing after which the flange will engage under the from the spirit of the invention. top of the refrigerator as shown in Figure 3 In the accompanying drawings the preand hold the tube in place. at ferred forms of the invention 1 have been The tube 15 is providedwith an inner shoul as shown. der 18 between its ends which serves as a sup- In said drawings: port for a flange 19 on the upper end of a Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section rigid feed tube 20 which extends downthrough a portion of a refrigerator showing wardly from the tube 15 and through top the cooler in elevation. plug 8. The rubber tube 15 fits tightly Figure 2 is a section 011 line 2-2, Figure 1. about tube 20 and as it also fits tightly in Figure 3 is an enlarged section through a sleeve 13 a sealing connection is maintained portion of the cooler. between the top of the refrigerator and tube Figure l is a view similar to Figure 3 20. 40 showing a modified structure. A reservoir 21 is mounted on the refrig- Referring to the figures by characters of erator and is provided with a supporting reference, 1 designates a portion of a refrighead 22 or the like so that its bottom can exerator the refrigerant compartment 2 of tend over head 16. A nipple 23 is extended which has the usual side partition 3. Obvidownwardly from the bottom of the reser- 45 ously other constructions can be used. All Voir and has external annular ribs 2 1. This 05 that is necessary is that some means, such nipple is adapted to be forced downwardly as partition 3, be provided for supporting into the upper end of tube 15 above flange a portion of the cooler in compartment 2. 19 and will be anchored therein by ribs 24. The cooling tank has been shown at 4. An inner shoulder 26 is provided in the so This can be of any suitable material, metal lower portion of the reservoir and can be used for supporting a filter 27. Another shoulder 28 is formed in the upper portion of the reservoir and can support a lid 29.

The reservoir shown in Figure 3 is preferably formed of vitreous material but it'can be made of metal as in Figure 4:. In that event the tube 30'can be Welded to the bottom of the reservoir 31 or otherwise securely connected thereto, as shown at 32. A sleeve 83 can be used for lining the opening in the top of the refrigerator but instead of using a rubber tube such as shown at 15, a soft rubber packing in the form of a washer 34 can be interposed between the bottom ofthe reservoir and the refrigerator top.

In the structure shown in Figure la packing ning-35 isseated on-shoulder 86 to support an inverted bottle 37 above filter 38. Such an arrangementcan also be used with the structure shown in Figure 3as willbe obvious. I

\Vhenit is desired 'to removethe cooler shown in Figure 3 the reservoir is pulled from engagement 'with' the packing tube 15. Tube is then forced upwardly within tube 15, at-the same time pulling the upper plug from the neck 7. Tank 4 is then uncoupled from tube ll and can beliftedfrom position. The foregoing operation is reversed to replace the cooler.

The cooler shown in Figure 4 is removed simply by lifting reservoir 31.' This'pulls tube and plug 8from the tank which can then be taken'from the refrigerator.

In using the cooler the tank is filled with Water throughtube 20-or 30 and a reserve supply is left in reservoir 31. If desired cracked ice canbe placed in the'reservoir to pre-co'o'l the water. The filter will be found especially useful in localities where filtration is desirable. Otherwise it need not be used.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a refrigerator having an opening in the top thereof, of a resilient coupling tube removably mounted in the opening, collapsible means integral with the ends ofthe tube for lapping andengaging'opposed' faces of the apertured portion ofthe refrigerator, a feed tube supported by and depending from the coupling tube, a reservoir removably mounted on the refrigerator, an outlet nipple depending therefrom and removably seated in the coupling sleeve, and a tank detachably supported in the refrigerator and detachably connected to the feed tube, said coupling tube constituting a sealing connection between the nipple, feed tube and refrigerator.

2. The combination with a refrigerator lhiwing an p and a water tank detachably supported in the refrigerator having an inlet, of a sealing closure for the inlet, a reservoir, removably mounted on the refrigerator, a feed tube secured to the bottom thereof, and extending through the refrigerator opening and through the tank closure, and asealing means engaging the refrigerator and tube, said reservoir and tubebeing liftable bodily relative to'the-tank and-refrigerator to release the tank for removal and to detach the tube and reservoir from the refri'gerator.

The combination with a refrigerator having an opening in the .to rthereof, of a resilient coupling=tube removably mounted in the openin collapsible means integral with the ends of the tube for lapping and engaging opposed faces of an apertured portion of the refrigerator, a feed tube supported by and depending from the coupling tubefwater supply means removably seated in the coupling sleeve, and a tank detachably supported in the refrigerator and detachably connected to the feed tube, said coupling tube constituting a sealing connection between the supply means, feed tube and refrigerator.

'4. The combination with a refrigerator having an opening, and a water tank detachably supported in the refrigerator havin an inlet,'ofa sealing closure for the inlet, a feed'tube extending through the refrigerator opening and'through the tank closure, and a sealing means engaging the refrigerator and tube, said tube bein liftable bodily relative to the tank and re rigerator to release'the tank for removal and to detach the tube.

"VERNON M. MAINE. 

